This is the sequel to Doggystyle; Snoop Dogg’s first and best album. If the titles seem out of order; it’s more appropriate to start with the standard Missionary position before hitting it from the back; perhaps it’s a fitting metaphor. It’s 30 years later, the rapper reminds us; it’s actually 31, so the album comes a year late; and he’s not the pup he used to be. Ain’t No Fun these days without a tab of Viagra. At one point, he’s complaining about his cataracts.

Not that anyone can see thru the clouds of weed and gun Smoke; the latter of which inspires a song with 50 Cent and Eminem; the latter of which once made an inferior sequel of his own. Part of the problem with The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was the absence of Dr Dre. Snoop avoids that mistake by inviting the legendary beatmaker to produce every song here, though the abundance of co-producers suggests he’s become more of a musical figurehead.

Those beats are the best thing here, but that’s not saying much. Long gone are the banger basslines of the G-funk era. The production here is polished and contemporary; routine sex with your wife while longing for those “bitches in the living room getting it on”. The biggest turnoff though is the breaks, where the music too often changes for the worse in order to accommodate a limp chorus. Minor highlights include Pressure and The Negotiator.

my rating : 3 of 5

2024